title: Glucose deprivation-induced cytotoxicity and alterations in mitogen-activated protein kinase activation are mediated by oxidative stress in multidrug-resistant human breast carcinoma cells.
abstract: We previously observed that glucose deprivation induces cell death in multidrug-resistant human breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7/ADR). As a follow up we wished to test the hypothesis that metabolic oxidative stress was the causative process or at least the link between causative processes behind the cytotoxicity. In the studies described here, we demonstrate that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was activated within 3 min of being in glucose-free medium and remained activated for 3 h. Glucose deprivation for 2-4 h also caused oxidative stress as evidenced by a 3-fold greater steady state concentration of oxidized glutathione and a 3-fold increase in pro-oxidant production. Glucose and glutamate treatment rapidly suppressed MAPK activation and rescued cells from cytotoxicity. Glutamate and the peroxide scavenger, pyruvate, rescued the cells from cell killing as well as suppressed pro-oxidant production. In addition the thiol antioxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, rescued cells from glucose deprivation-induced cytotoxicity and suppressed MAPK activation. These results suggest that glucose deprivation-induced cytotoxicity and alterations in MAPK signal transduction are mediated by oxidative stress in MCF-7/ADR. These results also support the speculation that a common mechanism of glucose deprivation-induced cytotoxicity in mammalian cells may involve metabolic oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073, USA.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Galoforo
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Berns
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Corry
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Spitz
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000172:deficiency*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005973:Glutamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D005978:Glutathione; D005947:Glucose; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide; D000111:Acetylcysteine